User blog:BeastMan14/Film Review: "Deadpool 2" Gets Bigger and Bolder To Create A Superior Sequel
Generally speaking, I'm a fan of the first Deadpool. It was a risky experiment that paid off for Fox and gave audiences an immensely refreshing take on the superhero genre, which was threatening to collapse on itself at that point. Of course, it had it's flaws, largely due to a small budget and a script that frequently fell into the same cliches it was mocking, so my interest in a sequel was piqued when it was announced David Leitch, one half of the duo behind John Wick, would be directing and Ryan Reynolds would be playing a more direct role in writing the film's script. Heading into the theater, I had the same dread that they'd be unable to capture the same magic that made the first work, so imagine my shock when it turned out that the film was not only as good as the first, but actually a much stronger effort in a series of hits from the X-Men cinematic universe. The Cast Unsurprisingly, the cast is the strongest aspect of the film. Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool, and he takes the character in a more personal direction while still remaining endearing and funny without ever becoming too annoying. He's boosted by the addition of straightmen in the form of Josh Brolin's Cable and Zazie Beetz's Domino, who are both excellent. Brolin plays Cable with a perfect mix of stoicism and annoyance, crucially never feeling like he's in on the joke, while Beetz is strong enough to easily ground a film of her own. Rounding out the new cast members is perpetual scene-stealer Julian Dennison as Russell Collins, who holds his own comedically with Reynolds while injecting the film with a surprising burst of heart. The returning cast is good as well, though they're given a bit less to do this time around. Stefan Kapičić is a natural fit for Colossus, the only decent person in the franchise, and he continues to give the character a surprising level of emotional depth he was never given in the main series. Brianna Hildebrand's Negasonic Teenage Warhead is underutilized, but her small amount of screentime is used well, as is the reveal of her being in a same-sex relationship. Karan Soni is surprisingly entertaining as taxi driver and wannabe mercenary Dopinder, who provided several of the biggest laughs in the film. The only real weak link is TJ Miller as Weasel, who is still largely a one-joke character, but even he's funnier than most supporting characters in films such as this. Score: 5 out of 5 The Script My biggest fear for Deadpool 2 was that it would largely be a recycle of the original, but Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds really strive to take the film in a different direction, creating a film a lot funnier and harder to predict than the first. (The post-credits scene, in particular, is quite possibly the best stinger in any Marvel movie, and takes the film in a direction I didn't think it could go.) A lot more of the jokes land, and there's several moments that I genuinely didn't expect. The most unexpected part of the film is the surprising level of emotion that drives the plot forward, enabling the audience to care more about the characters, particularly Cable and Russell, characters who could've felt unnecesary if they weren't so sympathetic. Of course, the script still has some weaknesses, specifically the fact that the plot is started by a twist so one-note and predictable that it's immensely surprising no one stopped it for being too cliche. While it wasn't a major letdown, it was still unfortunate the filmmakers couldn't find a more creative way to kickstart the plot. Score: 4 out of 5 The Direction Probably the biggest step up from the first film is the visual style added by Leitch, a much more experienced director when it comes to action. The film's general color palette is prettier and more varied, averting the standard fare drabness that plagued the first film, and the more frequent action scenes are much larger in scale and more effectively shot. (The film's final battle, in particular, is spectacular, cutting between three separate fights without ever feeling chaotic or hard to follow.) In terms of visual effects, the film looks great, with primarily CGI characters like Cable and Colossus looking and feeling like they have real weight to them, while the rest of the film never has the same "clearly a closed set" feel the first suffered from. My only real complaint here is the editing, which sometimes moves too choppily and doesn't always give each scene the flow it needs to perfectly make sense in transition. Score: 4.5 out of 5 Final Verdict Deadpool 2 is the best kind of sequel, the kind that builds upon the strengths of the previous film while minimizing it's weaknesses. It's not only assuaged my fears about the character, but left me immensely excited to see where they'll take him next. Final Score: 90% Oscar Nominations Wishlist: *Best Director: David Leitch (in a weaker year) *Best Actor: Ryan Reynolds *Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin *Best Supporting Actor: Julian Dennison (in a weaker year) *Best Adapted Screenplay *Best Visual Effects Category:Blog posts Category:Reviews Category:2018 Reviews